West and Central Africa — Liptako Gourma Crisis Monthly Dashboard 26 (28 February 2022)

The Central Sahel area, and in particular the Liptako Gourma region, which borders Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, is affected by a complex crisis involving growing competition over dwindling resources; climatic variability; demographic pressure; high levels of poverty; disaffection and a lack of livelihood opportunities; communal tensions; the absence of state institutions and basic services; and violence related to organized crime and Non-State Armed Groups. The crisis has led to the death of an estimated 5,000 people in 2021 (as of 31 December) and triggered significant displacement of populations in the four affected countries. As of 28 February 2022, 2,244,661 individuals have been displaced, including 2,058,769 Internally Displaced Persons (92% of the displaced population) and 185,892 Refugees (8% of the displaced population). Seventy-one per cent of the displaced population (1,604,536 individuals) were located in Burkina Faso, while 16 per cent resided in Mali (369,509 individuals), 9 per cent in Niger (197,800 individuals) and 3 per cent in Mauritania (72,816 individuals).